Improvement in rail-chairs



L. S. SHREFFLER.

Improvement in Rail Chairs.

No. 'i24,226. Patenredmarhmm-z;

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FFICE.

LEVI S. SHREFFLER, OF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lN RAIL-CHAIRS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,226, dated March 5, 1872.

Specification describing a certain Improvenient in Joints for Railroad Rails, invented by LEVI S. SHREFFLER, of Elmira, in the county of Uhemung and State of New York.

This invention relates to a joint for the rails of a railroad, and it consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement 'of the parts ot' which it is composed', as will be more fully explained hereinafter.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved joint on the line x of Fig. 2, showing the form of the rail, the construction of the two sections of the joint, and the clampingbolt with its nuts. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the joint and a portion of the two rails.

Corresponding letters refer to corresponding parts in both ofthe iigures.

The necessity for a railroad joint which shall retain the upper and inner surfaces of the ends of the rails at their points of junction in a plane with each other, and, at the saine time, aii'ord a sufficient amount of elasticity at that point to prevent the lamination ofthe ends of the rails, is acknowledged by all railroad engineers; and this invention has for its object the production of such a joint, and it diifers from those now in use in that both of the sections of the joint serve as an elastic support for the head of the rail, one of them presenting, at the same time, a smooth upper snrface, flush with the upper surfaces ofthe rails, for the purpose of preventing a jar when the wheels` pass the joint; and it further differs from others in that it affords a double bearing for the ends ofthe rails, one upon the under side of the heads of the rails, and the other upon the lower surfaces of the rails, upon the ties, to which the joints are fastened.

In constructing joints of this character, I use two plates of metal, A. and A', the former being of the form shown in the drawing, its lower surface resting upon a tie, to which it is spiked or bolted. From the inner edge ofthe base of this section there projects an annular web inwardly in such a manner, and at such an angle, as to cause its under surface to rest upon the upper surface of the base of the rail. The vertical portion of this section of the joint extends upward fa-r enough to come in contact with the under surface ofthe head of the rail, at which point itis reduced in thickness,

and thus a shoulder is formed for the rail to rest upon, while the remaining portion extends further up,'and has upon its upper face a wheelbearing surface, which is tlnsh with the tops of the rails. The sectionA of the joint is the same in all respectsas the one above described, except that it has not the part which projects above the under surface of the head of the rails. In constructing' these sections, it is important that their upper surfaces, or those surfaces upon which the head rests, should be of such height as that, when the rails are placed in them, they (the rails) shall be suspended by their heads resting upon these portions of the joint, while, at the same time, the lower surfaces of the bases of the rails are allowed to come very nearly in contact with the tie, so that, as the wheels of the train reach the point in or between the ends, the weight with which they press upon said rails shall be transferred to the joint-plates, and thus cause them to spring sufficiently' to cause the requisite amount of elasticityT to prevent the lamination of the ends of the rails, and, at the saine time, permit the rails to iind a bearing upon the tie in time to prevent the breaking of the plates of which the jointis composed. For securing the rails within thejoint, as well as for holding the two sections thereof in proper contact with the rails, a bolt, B, is provided, which pa-sses through the vertical portions of the two sections of the joint, as shown in Fig. 1, its screw-threaded end being' provided with two nuts, so that, when the sections of the joint have been screwed up against the web of the rail, so as to retain the inner surfaces of their heads in the saine plane or in line with each other, but not so tightly as to prevent the movement thereof caused by their expansion and contraction, the outer nut may be set up kiirmly against the other or inner one, and thus the parts held in their adjusted position. Upon referring' to Fig. 2, it will be seen that, in order to prepare the rails for the upper or wheelbearing surface of the portieri A of the joint, a portion of the head of each is eut away, as shown at D D', the object being to bring the bearing-surface of the joint as near the center of the rails as possible, in order that the wheel may bear freely upon it while passing over the joint in the rails.

One great advantage arising from this method ot' constructing railjoints, and one which has not been alluded to, is, that, when it becomes necessary to remove a rail from its place in repairing the line, it is only necessary to remove the two bolts at its ends, and draw out the spikes in the two sections ofthe joints which it is necessary to remove, and the rail can at once be removed and another one put in its place. It may be desirable in some cases to use this joint Without using the. projecting portion which serves as a heel-bearing surface, and in such eases it may be omitted, in which case the necessity for removing a portion ofthe heads ofthe rails will be obviated, and all the other features ofthe joint will remain the same in construction and function.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A rail -joint consisting` of two sections, A A', adapted to rest upon a single tie, and a bolt, B, with tightening-nuts, the parts being constructed and arranged substantially as described and shown, as a consequence ot' which the ends of the rails of the truck are suspended by the Contact of the under surfaces of their heads with the upper surfaces of the sections of the joint, and, at the. same time, 0r as soon as the Weight is applied to the joint, the rails shall seat themselves upon the tie to which the joint is fastened.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LEVI S. SHREFFLER.

Vitnesses l). P. HoLLoWAY, B. EDW. J. EILs. 

